Wire-stretcher.



Patented May 22, I900 myeiazo Jwszlfiaem J We z! J HOOKER WIRE 'STRETCHER.

- (Application filed Jan. 23, 1900.

(No Model) UNITED STAT-Es Fries.

PATENT WlRE-STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 650,322, dated May 22, 1900.

Application filed January 23, 1900. Serial No. 2,490. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JONAS HOOKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Miller City, in the county of Putnam and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in WVire-Stretchers, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to wire-stretch ers, the object of the same being to provide a simple and cheaply-constructed device of this character which may be utilized for taking up slack in wire fences and the like.

The invention belongs to that class of wirestretchers in which a rotatable body provided with arms having hooks thereon is employed, the body serving as a spool or drum on which the strand of wire may be wound and the hooks serving as engaging means for the wire to prevent the disconnection of the same from the body or drum. In all of the devices of this character, however, known to me it is necessary to turn the body or drum through an arc of at least one hundred and eighty degrees before it is possible to cause the engagement of the hooks on the arms with another portion of the wire strand.

13y my invention I so dispose the hooked arms with respect to the body that the device is capable of being locked with the wire at each quarters-evolution of the drum, thereby insuring finer adjustments thancan be obtained with the old forms of devices.

My invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective View of the device, and Fig. 2 is an elevation showing the same in use.

Like reference-numerals indicate like parts in both views.

My improved wire-stretcher may be, and preferably is, made from a rod or bar of malleable iron bent at a point adjacent to its center to form the body or drum 1, on which the wire to be stretched may be wound. Between the bent portions of the rod, by which the drum 1 is produced, a slot or passage 2 is provided for a purpose which will presently appear. Theend of the body'or drum 1 may be formed with a polygonal extension 3 for the application of a wrench or key in a. wellknown manner. Leading outwardly substantially at right angles to the body or drum 1 of the device is an arm 4, which is bent or curved at substantially right angles to the plane in which the body 1 and arm 4 are located to form an extension 5, having a hook 6 on one end thereof. Also leading outwardly from the body or drum 1, at right angles thereto and also at right angles to the arm 4, is an arm 7,.having an extension 8, similar to the extension,5 on the arm 4, which exten sion 8 is provided with a hook or engaging portion 9 at its extremity. It will be observed that the extensions 5 and 8 on the arms at and 7, respectively, are both at right angles to the arms on which they are formed, are in substantially the same plane with each other, and that they extend in such direction from the arms on which they are formed that when the device is turned a quarter-revolution one of said extensions will occupy the same position relative to the line-wire that was formerly occupied by the other. It will also be observed that the hook 6 lies in the same plane with the extension 5, but at right angles to the plane of the arm 4 and its extension 5 also, that the hook 9 lies in a plane with the extension 8 at right angles to the plane through the arm 7 and said extension 8, so that the strand of wire on which the device is used extending from the body or drum 1 to either of said books 6 or 9 will be inclosed on three sides, the extensions 5 and 8, respectively, serving as an abutment or engaging portion for the wire for preventing the same slipping ofi the device at one end.

In using my improved wire-stretcher the same is applied to the strand of wire to be stretched or tightened so that said strand lies in the space or opening 2 formed in the body or drum 1. The said drum or body is then turned by the application of a key or wrench to the polygonal extension 8 thereof until the proper tension of the wire has been attained. The hook 6 or 9 is then placed in engagement with that portion of the strand of wire operated upon which lies just outside the portion thereof which is wound upon the body or drum 1. It will be observed, however, that as the arms 4 and 7 lie at an angle of ninetydegrees to each other one or the other of said hooks 6 or 9 will come opposite the free portion of the strand operated upon on one side or the other of the drum or body 1 at each movement of said device through an arc of ninety degrees. It will also be observed that when one of the hooks referred to is in engagement with the strand of wire operated upon the other hook will be out of engagement therewith and that the portion in engagement with one of the hooks will be surrounded on three sides, thereby preventing the accidental slipping or disconnection of the device from the wire. 4

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A wire-stretcher consisting of a body or drum having a transverse passage therethrough and two arms lying at substantially right angles to each other and to said body or drum, each of said arms having extensions thereon which lie in substantially the same plane with each other and have hooks upon their free ends, the said hooks being upon the same side of said extensions as said body or drum and lying in planes with said extensions at right angles to the arms on which said extensions are respectively formed.

2. A wire-stretcher made from a metallic rod or'bar bent at a pointadjacent to its center to form a drum or body having a passage or opening between the two parts of said rod or bar from which said body or dru m is formed, and bent at one end of said drum or body to form two on twardly-extending arms lying at substantially right angles to each other and to said body or drum, each of said arms being bent to form extensions which lie in substantially the same plane with each other, and have hooks upon their free ends, the said hooks being upon the same side of said extensions as said'drumor body, and lying in planes with said extensions at right angles to the arms on which said extensions are respec 'tively formed.

some nocnnn'.

\Vitnessesi WM. M. STOCKBRIDGE,- JAMES L. NoRRIs, 

